Marriage
Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist are sacraments of Christian initiation. They ground the common vocation of all Christ's disciples, a vocation to holiness and to the mission of evangelizing the world. They confer the graces needed for the life according to the Spirit during this life as pilgrims on the march towards the homeland. Two other sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed towards the salvation of others; they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God.
-Catechism of the Catholic Church
Congratulations on your Engagement!
Congratulations on the decision to celebrate a commitment of life with each other in the Sacrament of Marriage. Weddings are a special time of joy and promise for you, your families and the entire parish community. Above and beyond the legality of marriage, it is understandable that celebrating this sacrament in a faith context and church setting must be entered into with prayerful planning. As a Christian community, we want to provide you with the direction necessary to help you attain your goal ... not only a wonderful wedding day, but a happy and fulfilling life long sacramental marriage. Therefore these policies have been prepared in order to help you solemnize your marriage at Immaculate Conception.
Who May Celebrate a Wedding In Our Parish?
Either the bride or the groom must be a registered, practicing members of the parish. By Canon Law, non-registered Catholic bridal parties must obtain a "letter of permission" from their own parish, or must register with Immaculate Conception for the celebration of a wedding. There is an additional fee for non-registered or newly registered members seeking to celebrate a marriage in the parish.
Some General Requirements.
1. The bride and groom meet with the parish priest or deacon at least six months before the intended wedding date;
2. The Catholic parties, either the bride and/or groom, must attend Mass in a Catholic Church regularly.
3. The engage couple must complete all components of the Marriage Preparation Process as outlined below.
The Marriage Preparation Process
Our Wedding Preparation Program is administered in accordance with the guidelines of the Catholic Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire and includes the following:
1. Inital Meeting with our Pastor
2. Completion of the FOCCUS Questionnaire (a marriage preparation and discussion tool)
3. Review of the FOCCUS results with a trained facilitator(s) - this could be the Priest, the Pastoral Associate or a marriage couple.
4. Attend one Marriage Preparation Seminar (i.e., the Engaged Couple Seminar, Engaged Encounter Weekend or another approved marriage seminar/retreat),
5. Completion of the Pre-Nuptial Questionnaire which includes testimony of the intention to enter into a Christian Marriage according to the teaching of the Catholic Church
6. Meet with your officiant (the priest or deacon) to plan the actual ceremony.
What Documents will you need?
1. A newly issued copy (no more than six months old) of your baptismal certificate, obtained directly from the church of baptism. Both the Catholic and non-Catholic parties need this documentation where baptism has been celebrated.
2. In the case of a second marriage, please advise the priest or deacon of this reality. Proof of the previous marriage and legal divorce are needed. This applies to either party, Catholic or non-Catholic.
3. In many cases an Annulment will be required when a previous marriage has been celebrated. The Formal Decree of Nullity is needed prior to establishing a confirmed wedding date. The priest or deacon will assist you in determining if such a decree is needed.
4. Finally, a Civil License must be obtained. You both must be present to apply for the license. No blood test is required in NH. The license is valid for 90 days. You may drop your license off at the Parish Office anytime prior to the wedding, but no later than the time of the rehearsal.
What Dates & Times are Available?
The date & times are available on a first-come, first-reserved basis.
Friday Evening Weddings: Depending on availablility, times for a Friday evening wedding ceremony are from 5:00PM to 7:00PM.
Saturday Evening Weddings: Depending on availability, times for a Saturday ceremony are as early as desired to as late as 2:00PM for a Full Mass, and, 2:30PM for a Scripture Service. If an evening wedding is desired, 7:00PM or later may also be available. Weddings cannot be scheduled to begin between the hours of 3:00PM and 6:30PM because of our regular Saturday schedule of Reconciliation and Mass
Sunday Weddings: Because of our regular Mass schedule, Sunday weddings are not available.
Please Note: Some dates during the year, though no weddings are previously scheduled, may not be available because of civic holiday observances or other parish activities. By tradition, weddings are not typically celebrated during Lent (Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday).
If there is more than one wedding scheduled for the same day, a minimum of a 2-hour interval is required between weddings.
A Mass or A Scripture Service?
All marriages between two Catholics that are in a position to celebrate and receive Eucharist can take place in the context of Mass. When one person of the couple is not Catholic and would therefore be unable to receive Communion, the marriage is celebrated within the context of a Liturgy of the Word (i.e., a Scripture Service). Discussion about whether a Liturgy of the Word or Celebration of Eucharist should take place with the priest at your initial meeting.
Aisle Runners and Pew Bows
As a safety precaution, aisle runners are not permitted. The aisle in our church is carpeted so a runner is not needed.
Rubber bands or craft wires work best for pew bows.
Flowers
It is customary to leave the flowers from your wedding at the Church to provide the whole parish community the opportunity to share in the celebration of your wedding. No flower petals, rice, bird seed or confetti is to be thrown in or around the church. Please be sure to inform your guests.
Visiting Clergy
If a couple would like to invite another priest or deacon from outside the parish to preside at their ceremony, they are most welcomed. It is presumed that the visiting celebrant will adhere to the customs of the parish, and will be present for the wedding rehearsal. If the visiting celebrant is from out of state, he must obtain the written permission from the Secretary of State of New Hampshire to preside over the witness of vows.
Photographers
In the past, well meaning photographers and videographers (professional or otherwise) have caused great distraction during the wedding ceremony for both the couple and their guests. Please inform your photographer or videographer that no flash, strobe or floodlights are allowed during the ceremony, and that they should consult with the presider before the ceremony begins.
Rehearsals
The rehearsal is usually scheduled for the evening before the wedding and normally is a half hour in length. Because more than one rehearsal may be scheduled on a given evening, it is important that everyone arrive on time.
Are There Any Fees?
RESERVATION FEE:
Couples who meet the following three criteria:
1.) They (or their parents) are, current, registered members of the parish;
2.) They (or their parents) are, current regular contributors of record; AND
3.) They are involved in parish ministry and programs; are asked a nominal reservation fee of $100.00.*
Couple who are any one of the following:
1.) Non-registered, or newly registered members**
2.) -or- parishioners who do not normally attend,
3.) -or- are not financial contributors of record, are asked a church reservation fee of $500.00.*
Please note that the church and date are not reserved until the reservation fee has been provided. This should be done at the first meeting or as soon as possible after.
* Reservation Fees are non-refundable, as they make the date and time unavailable to another couple who might seek that same date or time.
**A couple who is registered with the parish for 6 months or less are considered Newly Registered Parishioners.
PERSONAL STIPENDS/GIFTS:
Any personal offerings, gift or stipend for the priest who presides at your wedding or servers who assist at your wedding are at the discretion of the couple. It is recommended that any such gratuity be brought to the rehearsal with the other items you plan to use as part of your ceremony.
MUSIC FEE:
Travis Catello is our parish organist. He can be reached at by phone at 603.888.0321, ext. 232 or by email . It is presumed that he is the organist/musician for all weddings at Immaculate Conception. The fee for his service is $150.00 made payable directly to the parish and due 4 weeks before your wedding. This fee is not part of the reservation fee.
A couple wishing to use the services of an alternate musician must notify the parish office a minimum of 3 months prior to the wedding date, otherwise the couple is responsible for the $150 fee (even if the service is not used). All other musicians must be approved by the celebrant in advance.
Soloists (and all other musicians) are contracted and paid directly. If you would like assistance in choosing a soloist (or any other musician), please contact Travis Catello.
WEDDING COORDINATOR FEE:
Jackie Kaufman is our parish Wedding Coordinator. She can be contacted by email using our contact form. Jackie assists all of our wedding couples in arranging the details of their wedding ceremony. She can answer any questions you have regarding the logistics or your wedding day (i.e., flowers, pew bows, photographers, arrangement of your bridal procession, etc.). Additionally, she facilitates the rehearsal the evening before the wedding and is present the day of the wedding to ensure everything operates smoothly. The fee for Jackie's services is $100 made payable directly to the parish and due 4 weeks before your wedding. This fee is not part of the reservation fee.
Music
We have an excellent parish organist and soloist who will work directly with you for music at your wedding because of the sacredness of the event and their particular expertise in celebrating the Liturgy and Sacrament of Marriage, we highly recommend their services be the ones used. Their fees are discussed above. (Please note that the option of pre-recorded music is not available for use during the ceremony.) Appropriate music selections for the ceremony must be approved in advance, keeping in mind the sacredness of the celebration.
Please click here to assist you in planning your wedding music.
Finally, our thanks to you!
Thank you for taking the time to review our wedding policy. There will more than likely be questions that were not answered here. Please feel free to contact us at the Parish Business Office at 888-0321. Again, congratulations on your wedding plans, and our prayers and best wishes to you for your future! (This policy is subject to change. The most current policy is available at the parish office.)